Niścintatā is a Hindi word referring to the state of being in harmony with oneself and one’s surroundings. Gurumayi requested that this gallery of black-and-white photos be created for the Siddha Yoga path website because these images evoke timelessness. Gurumayi gave the word niścintatā as the title for this gallery.
Gurumayi shared the story that when she was a child in India and she would ask elderly people how they were doing, they would often reply, with a very sweet smile, a gentle tilt of their head, and a lift of their hand, “Maĩ niścint hū̃. I am free from worry.” Gurumayi remembers this with great affection. It made a deep impression on her.
Gurumayi’s teachings are about just this: it is within every seeker’s ability to become free from worries—it is possible to experience the absence of mental agitation. This gallery is an invitation from Gurumayi to get in touch with niścintatā, the state of being in harmony.
“Nischintata”—even the word instills peace and quiet in me. I never knew those blessings before I knew my beloved Guru.
As I looked at the raindrops in the opening slides, I felt myself drawn into meditation. As I went further into the pictures, a sweet quietude settled in my heart, and every bit of tension in my body relaxed. I experienced clarity, peacefulness, and a heart full of love in every image.
Missouri, United States
This is often my favorite gallery on the Siddha Yoga path website! It offers me such peace and stillness in its simplicity and timeless beauty. I feel as though I walk through a doorway into what is before me and experience it just as it is. I am aware of so much love in these moments. And I am grateful to Gurumayi for bringing me an experience of nishchintata, the state of being in harmony.
New York, United States
It is amazing how a single image, rendered in black, grey, and white, can capture and reveal so much. Each image in this gallery offers me the opportunity to be fully present, absorbed both in the image and the Self. This inspires me to more fully live this way each moment of my life.
California, United States
The image of the bud—completely still yet creatively and actively preparing to express itself—invites me to experience each moment of time connected to a still center while offering the beauty of the virtues to each moment.
California, United States
It was such a beautiful surprise to open up this photo gallery for March 2025 and find the Guru’s orange flag fluttering against a black and white sky! I felt so much joy in my heart seeing it!
Hawaii, United States
These images exude a symphony of the most exquisite silence. They depict nature’s majestic beauty and offer an invitation to rest in the peacefulness and wonder of God that exists in these forms.
New York, United States
Before coming to the Niscintata gallery on the Siddha Yoga path website, I was really stressed about my grade for my precalculus class and about homework and all the other things I had to do—so it’s like this came at the perfect time! I see that being free from worry is a choice that I can make. Instead of being worried, I can put action toward achieving a good grade.
a seventeen-year-old from California, United States
I experience such peace each day when I view these images in shades of black, white, and grey. Without the flourish of color, the deep, silent peace of the Self comes through and lets me know of its everlasting presence.
